Newtownabbey grandmother hopes to raise awareness of cancer

A local grandmother who survived cancer is one of the stars of a new charity campaign. After battling the illness she is still looking good.

Margaret McConnell, is part of the Leukaemia and Lymphoma NI charity campaign- I’m Still.

The 67-year-old leads a quiet life with her family. She’s a proud grandmother and her biggest indulgence is going to get her hair done at her local hair salon.

In October 2014 she was diagnosed with Stage four Lymphoma to the shock of her close friends and family. Her diagnosis was sudden and she immediately began a treatment plan which saw her go into surgery to remove her tumours. Margaret said: “I’d surgery to remove the cancerous tumours in November and then in December I started a six month chemotherapy course. At first, the strangest part about my treatment was losing my hair. I go to the hair salon regularly and it’s a big part of my routine so it was quite an adjustment. However, when it began to grow back I realised it was softer than when I was a baby!”

In May 2015 Margaret received the all clear. She undergoes regular check-ups, but her outlook is positive. She added: “The best thing about being in remission is just being back to normal. I’m very close to my family and having more time to spend with them is all I could have asked for. I’m happy to be involved with this campaign and to open people’s eyes to the realities of cancer.”